The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-03-03
Ex.sPnAKER KEIFER.
A Specimen Brick Of Republican Leader
ship, from . Republican Standpoint.


A Specimen Brick Of Republican Leader
ship, from a Republican Standpoint.
Ex-speaker Keifsr, succeeded In SO.
curing a sort Of invitation from the
Garfield Monument Comr1ittee to deliver
the OratiOn at the unVeiling of the
statue In Washington at the time Of
the May reunion Of the Army Of the
Cumberland. General Keifer Is q played
out demagogue II not worse, and when
1t was found out, general kick VAS the
result. It seems that the commit 60
which invited him transcribed Its DOW
ers and an opportunity was offered the
wOuld,be orator to stand from under"
without any publicity, But he wouldn't
have 1t 80, and now General Boynton
comes to the front and tells the reason
why Ksifer Is not wanted In the Capaci-
ty of orator or in any other capacity, in
Washington. As the revelation which
General BOyntOn makes Is new and
somewhat startling as to the character
of this Republican lea Ter In Ohio, We
make the following extracts from Gen.
eral BOynton's letter:
The fact Is now known that the chief
argument used to secure Gen. Ksifer's
quiet withdrawal placed 1t largely upon
the low estimate In which he Is held In
Washington, and his reputation, or the
want of 1t, In the country at large.
His few Ohio strikers may struggle as
they will to conceal the fact from their
readers, but there ls only one opinicn
here In regard to the man who on all
occasions seems good enough for them.
This reputation Is that which, In an
honorable community, might be sup
posed to attach to man who by the
unanimous vote Of committee Of the
House Of Representatives, sustained by
u subsequent unanimous vote OF the
House Itself, was declared to have
failed after long and full opportunity
offered before o committee with full
power to call all the witnesses he
could name, to furnish proof Of Ger.
tain infamous charges which he had
made In writing against the Commercial
| g. Zette correspondent, which he had re-
Deated on the floor upon his honor as q
member, and had subsequently sworn
to before the committee. TWAS further
proved before the committee that he
hired man who was o fugitive from
| justice In one State, an ex.TOmbs con-
ViCt, to hunt up witnesses to prove his
case. In the prosecution Of this work
there were brought to Washington as
witnesses for MIR. Keifer before a COM
mittee Of Congress man who had
served term In the penitentiary for
| fraud, another who had been indicted
for burglary and arrested for counter
feiting, another who had been indicted
for an Infamous crime, and only escaped
trial by the death Of the principal pros
/ ecuting witness, another who had been
indicted for bribery, while at least two
others equally 1lsreputsble were added
to this collection here.
The criminal records Of these wit
nesses were presented to the committee
as they appeared, aud 1t was not deemed
expedIent to produce the rest. But so
far as the case proceeded the perjury Of
such witnesses was supplemented by
the fat perjury Of the ex-SpeAker and
and one Of his sub0Fdinates. To say
that all men Of all parties here were
slckened and c0Df0unded by the course
Of man who had been hOncred by the
| Speakership, is to state the case In the
mildest form that truthful language can
give 1t. For once partlsans stood help
less and found no way to assist even q
man Of Keifer's prominence In the face
OF evidence which stamped every Gle.
ment OF his case with infamy.